By CHUCK CARLTON
The Dallas Morning News
Oklahoma might want to be on alert for the Statue of Liberty play in this year's edition of the AT&T Red River Rivalry.
Bryan Harsin, Boise State's offensive coordinator the last five years, was named Friday as Texas' co-offensive coordinator with play-calling duties.
Running backs coach Major Applewhite, who had done yeoman work holding together Texas' top-ranked recruiting class during the staff makeover, will share the coordinator title.
Harsin, 34, was the offensive coordinator for Boise State's stunning Fiesta Bowl win over the Sooners in 2007, a game that featured several trick plays.
He replaced Greg Davis, who resigned following a 5-7 season. Davis had arrived at Austin with Mack Brown in 1998.
Wisconsin offensive coordinator Rick Chryst interviewed earlier this week but decided to pursue the head coaching job at Pittsburgh. Harsin had been viewed as a leading contender from the time Greg Davis resigned following a 5-7 collapse marked by offensive struggles.
"We've had success at Boise State over the years, but you look at a Texas and it has been a championship program for a long, long time and it's just one of those places you want to be a part of," Harsin said. "At Boise State, we always talked about and paid attention to the successful programs around the country, and Texas was a model."
Boise State went 61-5 in Harsin's five seasons at Boise State. The Broncos have the nation's highest-scoring offense since 2000, at more than 41 points a game. This season, the Broncos were third in total offense (521.3 yards per game) and second in scoring (45.1 points a game) while finishing 12-1.
While Boise State has the reputation for a free-wheeling offense, Harsin has not neglected the run. With Ian Johnson in 2006, the Broncos ranked sixth nationally in rushing.
"Everyone knows of the appreciation I've had for Chris [Petersen, the Boise State head coach], Bryan and the Boise State offense for quite some time," Brown said. "They have had an unbelievable amount of success over the last several years, and their offense has played a huge part in that."
